A Movement of Movements

When Pastor Jill Boyonas and I visited and observed the Vision 2000 movement, led by Pastor Samuel Stephens, in India and Sri Lanka in 2006, we saw something that was new for us: Pastors and leaders from various denominations and also independent church groups, working together in a simple “coalition” model, doing evangelism/discipleship with church planting. The work had resulted in thousands of new churches being planted in just a few years. Pastor Jill and I were amazed at the scope of this movement and it’s effectiveness for the Great Commission. We decided to try launching a similar strategy for movements in the Philippines later that year.

Features we observed and participated in on that 2006 visit:

  1. A broad-based geographical approach, while maintaining sensitivity to people groups (ethne), tribes, and differing languages within that geography. So, smaller local/regional movements that develop within the larger movement geography are acknowledged and nurtured.
  2. A practical collaboration between differing ministry traditions in a model that respects previous and ongoing ministry commitments, with an aim to fulfill Jesus’
    Prayer in John 17: 20, 21.
  3. A proactive approach to mobilize laborers into the harvest from all the churches involved. The laborers Jesus spoke of in Luke 10:2 are activated, mobilized, and trained to mobilize others, thus multiplying workers for the Great Commission.

At first, many said our new broad coalition movement of smaller movements would never be effective. The many thousands of new Christ Followers, in thousands of new churches around the world where our CMC Movement is working, tell a different story.

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